Representing Iran in Film and Social Media to be Discussed in Live Webcast, Jan. 29 - see http://news.duke.edu/2010/01/mottahedeh_ustream.html

I just watched Jason's documentary of "Bridge to Iran." His father is Iranian, and his mother is American, and he called himself a "half-and-half."

I am so thankful for his documentary. I am equally thankful for the Iranian government to actually allow his filming to take place, which tells me as an American that all Iranians do not fit the stereotypes that Jason said Americans have of Iranians in his documentary.
First of all, Jason referred to himself as being "trapped in between two worlds," and not feeling either American, nor Iranian.
I am an anthropologist, and this is called "culture shock." I also felt this as a traveling human being in the US Navy, visiting other countries and cultures since 1993 to 1997. I since went to college in the US, and then on to graduate school as an anthropologist. I wanted to know why humans are the way they are, and how we can collectively strive to correct the social problems that plague us through cultural change.

I found Pierre Bourdieu. In his books, "Distinction" and "The Logic of Practice," he explains precisely how and why we humans act the way we do. We are a negotiating species, and carefully weigh cost/benefit ratios in the fundamental human interaction. Without getting too deep into theory of social interactions, and giving credit where credit is due - I want to congratulate Jason on his revelation that he is a FREE man, with a FREE mind, and the FREEDOM to think on his own, and that he could quite possibly be an anthropologist and not even know it yet.

In order for any sort of dialogue to take place in this world, we all MUST strive to speak to one another, in Farsi or English or any language. Once the language barriers are overcome, then we humans can accomplish anything.
I am pleased that Linktv exists, and we need more channels like it in order to break down past stereotypes, personal biases, and social complexities, in order to reach the core of our true human selves and finally move beyond our contemporary issues to bring about real positive change for the better.

Without all the rhetoric I tend to agree with you. The recent debacle in France is a clear determination of predudice. Women should be able to dress as they see fit without the interferance of any government. Some women want to bare it all & some want to preserve their modesty. Men should not have the right to determine what is appropriate for the female population.

It's difficult not to be heartsick,when one sees so much wanton destruction of innocent and wonderful human life,all as a sacrifice to the greedy hunger for power,of the few. Plus the destruction of nature and wildlife too.
These few who are so BAD and diseased and soul-less always try to ruin it for the MASSES.Just as in every DIVERSE beautiful garden there are aways weeds that would take over.They are part of life too,but must be minimised from destroying the rich diversity of the lifes garden. How boring lifes garden would be if it was just a bed of creeping crab-grass,lol.
I myself yearn for the humane,spiritual,collective soul to LIFT,where everyone sees the good in everyone else.I have always experienced it in my travels,even those under auspices of war.
Yet I think to get through to that goodness,one must address the truths whether optimistic,realistic or pessimistic in order to find a way forward to as ideal a world as we can humanly get,considering our weaknesses and fallibilities too.
To get to the DE FACTO,I always believe that it's necessary to wade through the myth,or "indoctrinated" programming.
Especially nowadays with the state of the corporate STATE-SPONSORED media!
WHAT A JOKE!
I am realistically grounded,which means addressing the truth despite its ugliness,but I have spiritual high hopes of optimism and unity and ultimately the peace of the soul,for everyone.
Right now,inside the political framework there is much ugliness and propaganda which is manufactured garner fear and panic amongst people who don't know more,therefore can't argue back and say,"Wait a minute,that's not totally true,and here's why.....this is the other FACTUAL side".
Personally,to get to the colour of life,I have to see both sides of the coin,the black and the white and the gray bits inbetween,and much of it comes down to the same basic theme.
At the end of day,the ordinary people in their masses are the wonderful spirit,heartbeat and soul of life and have SO MANY things in common that we are all one big family,with so much to do,see and learn together.
However,always loitering,just there on the fence-periphery,are the vultures.
The politicians,the war-mongers,the greedy-grabbers etc, who just see what's in it for THEM,the minority.They see that divisions in people can be their profit and gain and to hell with the collective loss!
Tha's DESPICABLE!
And,many just see us,the ordinary people,as a way and a means to obtain what they want by exploiting OUR ignorances,trusts and fears.
These are the cancers that spread by their BAD DEEDS,empty words and broken promises.What do you do with a cancer?
Pluck it out,before it engulfs the whole.
In the USA,as in other places too,a very blatant entity,especially when it goes rotten,since post WW2,seems to be the cancerous,malignant growth of the Corporation and how it now invades our Government/Congress and infects the governance,judgements and decisions of the once-far-seeing Statesman,and all that ultimately effects our way of life,UNLESS WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND EXPOSE,THROUGH OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE,their crimes and EVIL DOINGS before they can achieve their own ends by any means!
They even manipulate the law to turn a BUSINESS of profit into a HUMAN ENTITY,lol.
Their vision is more myopic or tunnel-visioned now too.
They only see the immediate profit and the quickest way to LOOT,kill,devastate,cut and run!
It's not a new thing for sure.In the USA it's a throw-back from the Colonial Empire days which on the one hand was SHINING and glorious,but on the other was terribly cruel and brutal.
Again,it's nature.With every ray of sunlight there is a shadow cast,and many prefer to live in the dark shadow.
And there is nothing I hate more than hypocrisy and those few with power and money abusing and exploiting the MANY who have comparatively lttle,but treasure it more.
Even vultures are more respectful of their VICTIMS than the foetid ingrates that pretend to spread "democracy"(which serves the majority) and pretend to 'serve' the people,as our representatives,but actually serve their WALLETS!
I consider myself so lucky to have travelled and lived in so many places,amongst mnay peoples,languages and cultures,and not just passing through as a tourist. I can look back with so much pleasure and remember all the wonders,aswell as the hardships,and DESPITE the many foetid politics scattered throughout,one thing rises high above that:
How wonderful,generous and magnificent the majority of humanity is,and how much we all have in common,despite our differences of opinion,knowledge,preferences and leanings.
We all share the most important thing beneath the surface.....
THE SOUL! The combining,uniting binding force.
The doorway to the next life.
Especially when this life,in relation to the span of the universe and time,is JUST A BLINK and it's gone!
Or as the Buddhists say,our time here,in relation to everything,is as a fly crossing a room.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a family,culture where the search for knowledge and truth was a responsibility and a rich mine of ores,including sympathy and empathy.
We never wasted anything and treasured everything and also enjoyed a community,fun spirit,full of laughter,where ones actions affected many,so you always thought of the collective as well as the singular.And you always considered the consequences and repercussions of actions.
Conscience,I suppose.
Team work,I guess,lol,to achieve singular and common goals that would do no harm to either.
And that includes bad and good.
Respect and compassion were paramount.
Yet respect was to be earned by actions and fairness to all,not bestowed by birthright,money or faith.
All cultures,faiths,religions are equal and should be respected.
Coming from a family of spiritual minds and scientific backgrounds I always remember feeling deeply about things,as I do now,and being taught and preferring to solve the problem by looking for the root cause,which lays beneath the surface.

I don't think that addressing the BAD things in life is negative.It's common-sense,rational,especailly if the final goal is POSITIVE for all.
It's just not the 'pleasant',pretty way to go,and can mean a few restless nights and puzzled minds.
But,knowledge of the bad is necessary to purge it,to get to the ROOT cause of BAD,that means getting the hands dirty to get to the root.
But there's more chance then,by exposing the bad and routing it out,that it will NOT come back so forcefully again,and the GOOD SOUL of humanity can grow and spread,bringing with it PEACE.
And the only ones who could ever begrudge peace,are those who profit from lies,pain and blood-shed.
Strength through peace.
Not peace through strength.

I grew up in England & was indoctrinated to believe that the Shah actually represented the will of the people of Iran. As an adult I have discovered that the people of Iran have a different point of view.
I think that it is a great shame that we can't get together as people to try & solve the problems that are injuring the World. My main concern is the families that are being destroyed by this artificial war that is being fueled by oil. I am heartsick as I don't know what I can do to make it right.

I am so sorry that such negative people are gaining popularity over this site. It seems as though the ordinary people are losing their voice & the radicals are trying to take charge.
I am still of the opinion that we can reach a common ground without any violence as long as we can communicate. We all need to ignore the posturing of the radicals & get down to the human rights.
Israel needs to remember what their people went through & decide not to put any other people through that torture. Right now it seems as though the Isrealies are purportrating the legacy of the Nazis (sp)in their treatment of the Palestinians.
I am Wiccan, so have no ties to any modern religious sect, I am just concerned about people in general.

Grassroots - yes, Iran is still "WAY AHEAD" of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and North Africa and the Persian people are in fact very pro-US, not because of the mullah-regime, but in spite of it. Iran is still one of the most advanced, educated, civil societies in the Middle East because of all the progress made under the Shah and his father between 1925 and 1979 - progress which even 30 years of going backwards under the Islamic regime has not been able to completely undo.

Please see my detailed reply in the thread "Discussions in Tehran" below:

http://www.linktv.org/discussions/viewthread/53

Home> Get Involved> Community > Discussions > Documentaries > Discussions in Tehran

PA :Unfortunately I do know my history and have studied it for over 80 years,including the time of the Shah and I've read a lot more than just the biased book by the Shah or his wife(both of which I have read).
Iran is NOT BACKWARD and hopeless now any more than it was under the Shah,and I wouldn't call 60,000 SAVAK intelligence agents,employed by the Shah, raping,sodomizing,torturing young men and women in the US mission building near to the Savak HQ a "million times better" than the Islamic Iran.
Read all your history books(not biographies) and check the IRCS archives too.
The Shah was actually a VERY BRUTAL MAN and the West knew it,but they ignored it because he gave them VERY cheap oil and STOLE MILLIONS for himself,his family,palaces and his OFFSHORE properties,while MILLIONS of Iranians stayed POOR and destitute.
But anyway I have written more about the history of Iran under the Shah on the other link,it's up to you to STUDY more,because much it you will not read in the Shah's family autobiographies lol.
Iran is a magnificent ancient nation/culture,it's people are wonderful,with a LONG and rich past and mutli-cultural mosaic around it.
But don't be fooled into thinking that the Shah was better than the 'nasty-ole' Mullahs because the Western would-be Shah was notorious for his BRUTALITY.
He wasn't even linked directly back to Persian ancient history(just back to 1925).
Although he pretended that his roots went back to Cyrus and Ajax,LOL!
Iran is just like America in so many ways especially from the grassroots UP.
Both have extreme poverty,both have corrupt Govt's at certain periods of time,both have elitist classes that BILK from the poor majority,lol.
You should have seen the poor and repressed people when the SECULAR Shah was on his peacock throne! You should have seen the HUNDREDS of thousands that were tortured,murdered,imprisoned etc.You should have seen the WOMEN COWERING in the corners then,afraid to talk or blink!
That was a DISGRACE
Today,Iran is very progressive considering the restrictions/sanctions,infact it's educational output and science,technology output is actually BETTER than the USA now,lol!
It has done everything wit the NNPT legally(more than some other nations have done)and it's kept VERY calm and diplomatic considering the sanctions and pressure it's under to STRIKE out.But it maintains a steady DEFENSIVE only policy.
THAT'S more than WE CAN DO,lol!
It's young people are still vibrant,intelligent and exciting despite the 'nasty ole Mullahs',lol.
It has excellant trading and foreign relations with Europe Russia and China and much of the Persian Gulf.
And if it wasn't for Israel and its terrible PREVENTATIVE zionist political policies and hatred of any Islamic nation getting better than them,our USA would probably have a magnificent economic/trading/cultural/scientific relationship with Iran TOO.
It's even WAY AHEAD of Saudi Arabia,Egypt,Jordan,much of North Africa and they are supposed to be more 'western-friendly',lol.
You have to remember too that prior to 1979 Iranians were protesting against the Shah,and there was SO MUCH CIVIL strife with bombings and MASS ARRESTS and torture. The Shah was just a western would-be dictator to anyone who WASN'T in the top 20 percent elitist class.So the 80 percent below suffered like crazy,and COWERED in corners incase the SAVAK came in and hauled them away.
LinkTV is doing a magnificent job of showing the world as it is,whether that's painful or NOT!
The truth hurts a lot but...
This isn't a dream,IT'S LIFE!
But hey! I've already written to Obama and told him that he should TWIN Washington D.C. with Tehran!
Wouldn't that be cool?
If our Govt's would just stop the OFFENSIVE wars we,the ordinary peoples,could have such a great relationship with Iran's ordianry people.
Encore Link TV.
Bravo for bringing REAL-LIFE truth to the USA. It's better for AMERICA in the long run than DISNEY will ever be.

PLEASE don't show movies like this. It is so embarrassing to see Iran portrayed like this - so poor, backward and hopeless. The scene of this man sitting on the floor with his "wife" cowering in a corner in the back of the room, afraid to speak or give any opinion - this is just utterly depressing. This is what Islam leads to.

If the Pahlavi dynasty had been allowed to continue until today, Iran would be one of the richest, most progressive nations on earth. Every Persian could be so proud. Instead we have to deny our heritage out of shame - shame at what this once promising country has become.

Grassroots - you don't know the whole story. Please do some more research on Iranian history. Read the Shah's book, or his wife's book. Anyway, get the other side of the story. Sure, the Shah wasn't perfect. Nobody is. But he had the right idea and the right intention for his country and people. He and his father made TREMENDOUS progress for Iran between 1925 and 1979. He was a million times better than these mullah savages who've completely destroyed the country and its reputation for the rest of our lives.

All the Bridge to Iran episodes are excellant.
They show that America and Iran ARE SO ALIKE in many ways,as reagrds the ordinary people.
Both Nations still pretend at the Political level to be something they are not.But we all know that Politicians very seldom speak for the electorate or population.
As an American,I think the USA could have a WONDERFUL,FULFILLING and mutually respectful and profitable relationship with Iran.
We need to START RIGHT NOW to build on that,educationally,culturally,entertainment/sports etc.
There is NOT that big a DIFFERENCE between ordinary Iranian people and ordinary American people.We can BOTH learn an AWFUL lot from each other.
Persia/Iran is an ancient and magnificent place with an equally fascinating history.
The recent episode interviewing Iranian college girls("SILK")was excellant.
My own American Christian daughters said they would love to invite them over OR GO AND VISIT with them,and exchange TALES of live and loves.LOL!
Reach out Shake hands.And drink tea and sweets.Laugh and Talk.Better than damn missiles ANYDAY and MORE CIVILISED!
Great series.Thankyou!

Haven't seen this episode yet,but if it's anything like the first set of this 'Bridge'series I know it will be excellant.
I also try to remeber that Iran was a political Democracy,trading openly and diplomatically with Europe UNTIL the Government was DEPOSED by a miltary coup and the Shah was INSTALLED as an American Oil puppet.
After that,it was not surprising to see Iranians revolt against a butal,dictator Shah who was robbing Iranians BLIND!(Just like Musharraf in Pakistan) LOL!
Iran had their own Democracy LONG BEFORE America marched in tried to INSTALL OUR own 'version'.
Everything from there on in Iran,became pretty unstable. The problems ALWAYS come with the BLOWHARDS on both sides.
But this series makes us all realize how VERY SIMILAR all ordinary citizens of all Nations.
I shall look forward to seeing Irans own "Don Quixote",bless him,and his limping donkey!

These kind of documentaries are just ridiculously designed to give the image that Iran is a democratic country where even Mir Qanbar can run for the office! What a joke! Whoever thinks that is the case, i.e. Iran is a democratic state, should think twice, or look for a psychotherapist! In my homeland, only if you have proven yourself as a criminal who believes in supporting Islamic terrorism, can run for any kind of office, period. All the other things, such as letting hundreds of candidates run for the president's office is just a show, nothing else, since the spiritual leader, Khameini knows ahead of time who's going to come of the ballot box as the next president. Unfortunaely either this TV station is paid by the likes of Hugo Chavez, and Ahmadinejad and their supporters, or the directors are a bunch of so called progressive!!! anti Bushis, who will go in their opposition to the Bush administration so far as ending up with criminals such as Ahmadinejad. In this silly game even folks such as Noam Chomsky is fooled and comes up as a supporter of those murderers ruling Iran. This is not new to us, since a lot of Iranian communists also supported and still support the mullahs supposedly for being anti imperialists!!! What a laughing stock they have been. History will show how shameful this support was helping the likes of Ahmadinejad wash their hands of the blood of the Iranian freedom fighters, both men and brave women whose only guilt has been their demand for freedom, and liberty.

Iraj darakhshan

Link's Bridge to Iran series starts anew with "President Mir Qanbar", a 74-year-old retiree who has dedicated himself to winning an elected position in his country's government: http://www.linktv.org/programs/iran_president

What did you think? Does this film convey the sense that just anyone could run for political office in Iran today? What are the lingering images and important human lessons of this film for you?